An Internal Affair
by LadyArmitageStark
Summary: Ianto Jones was one of the most promising field agents in Torchwood London but a mistake caused him to be relegated to work as an archivist. Thanks to a bizarre murder case, Ianto is out of retirement to work for none other than the infamous Jack Harknes.
1. Prelude

Prelude

"_Hurry up Ianto, we don't have time."_ Crackled a female voice quietly from the communicator he had attached to his ear. Pressing the button, he replied "I'm done here, I`ll run to the meeting point, be there in 10 minutes, and don´t do anything reckless."

"_You know me honey"_

"I´m serious Lisa, don't do anything until I get there" He said before cutting off the line. It was near pitch black in the room, only the light filtering in from the lamp on the bedside table. Reaching down, he double checked. No pulse…. Time to go.

It was a shame, the girl did put up a good fight but in the end she was a novice and even if he hated killing her there was no way he was going to screw the mission, he would deal with his conscience later.

As Ianto reached the door, he paused. He placed his head against it, listening for footsteps before swiftly slipping out into the hallway. Making his way to the stairs just a few yards off, he checked the time in the dim light. He might just make it in time, but he had to be quick. If the target got away and he didn't put his hands on the drugs or something happens to Lisa, well, better not to think about what the boss would do to him.

Feet barely touching the stairs as he made his way down, he flew down the stairwell. He could hear his breathing getting louder. Maybe he was finally wearing out, or maybe the adrenaline rush was tuning his senses so finely that he could hear his every move. Either way, he stifled the sound of his breathing as he got to the main level door. Chest pounding, he leaned in to listen again. No one… he was out in an instant, and across the hotel lobby floor in seconds. Piece of cake.

Glancing around, his heart stopped and he ducked close to a supporting pillar. He could have sworn the security guard had just made his rounds. What was he doing back?

Another look around the pillar.

Not the security guard, but a UNIT agent.

Suddenly a siren rang out, the loud whooping sound alerting the presence on an intruder. Fuck no… There was no way he just tripped the alarm! "Fuck!" He hissed, taking off without another look back.

Taking off he ran to the parking garage. Darting between the cars in the lot, he pulled his gun, shooting out the circuit breaker. With the agents in the dark, he slowed to a stop and listened. There were at least 5 of them. How the hell did that happen?

Making his way to the opposite wall, he jumped up and hauled himself out of the broken grate, taking to the streets. He took in a deep breath of the cold air as his legs carried him across the street.

There was no way they could catch him when he was on the run like this. Years of experience made him a master of the road, he knew this sector of the city inside and out, better than anyone would think a man of his age could.

Blazing through several streets, he leaned back and smiled. The agents were falling behind. Finally some room, some time to think about what had happened back there.

The job had gone flawlessly, he knew it had. He'd checked every angle, taken every precaution not to be seen or leave behind evidence. He may not have been an expert field agent but he'd been setting up operatives long enough that every technical aspect of them were routine, like making coffee or brushing his hair. He even got the information about the drug dealer and made the appointment in order to catch him red-handed.

But the informant at the hotel had kept him for too long and then the random agent appeared out of the blue. Ianto turned left and spot the man he was supposed to arrest being arrested by Lisa. Damn, he loved that woman but she could be too stubborn and hasty for her own good.

She looked at him once the man was restrained and on the ground and smiled. Ianto smiled back only to stop suddenly when a hail of bullets that came out of nowhere. They hit her until her body fell limp onto the floor.

He stared at the scene with wide eyes.

"LISA!"

When he heard the sound of vehicles approaching he understood

They'd been set up.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

"_LISA" Ianto screamed running towards her, he knelt and took her body into his arms, warm blood flowed from her wounds staining his suit "Oh my god no no no no no" rocking her, he tried to coax a response but he knew it was useless, the bullets had pierced her neck and chest, probably piercing the jugular and heart. "Oh God, Lisa" _

"_Too bad isn't it, she was beautiful" said a voice behind him. Ianto try to turn but stopped when he felt the barrel of a gun against the back of his neck. _

"_Who are you?" _

_"I'm sorry that you find out" as he was shot in the shoulder letting out a scream of pain "Looks like you'll leave this world without knowing"_  
_  
"B-bastard" he said through the pain "you won't get away with this"_

"Don´t blame the player blame the game, I'm just a messenger" was the smirking reply. 

_"You will pay" were Ianto´s last words before falling over Lisa´s body as his world went black._

"It was a dream" Ianto said as he stared at the wooden ceiling of his apartment. It was obvious but for some reason saying it out loud help him to make it feel like it was just that, a horrible nightmare. He still wondered why he even bothered to go to sleep if it he knew that there was no way that he could close his eyes for more than 2 hours. At least, not until the dates passed. He sat on the bed and stretched every muscle in his body.

He couldn't believe he had had the same dream again; it had to be the first time in almost 5 years he had dreamt about that hellish night… How pathetic, a 25 year old man complaining about childhood fears again ... but childish or not there is no way to deny how much they affected his sleep cycle.

Ianto got up, drew the curtains and looked outside as the landscape received him with open arms. It was still very early but the first rays of sun were seen through the haze that covered the other buildings. It made the structure have a more mysterious feeling than usual. He turned and went to the kitchen for breakfast: scrambled eggs, toast and coffee seemed so tempting that day. He sighed while cooking, it was better to put everything behind him if he was going to be in top form today. Once finished, he put the food into a pair of plastic containers and then went into the bathroom. He took a quick shower, pulled one of his monotonous white and black suits out of the closet, simple and functional then returned to the kitchen.

There he got a bag of dog food and put some in a large plate, and whistled a few times until a huge German shepherd appeared.

"Hey there Myfanwy" Ianto said patting the animals head. The dog simply licked him a couple of times before paying attention to the food in her plate. Ianto laughed as he got up. Yeah fate was a bitch but at least he still had something to made him laugh. He took his backpack, the food and left.

It was such a gorgeous morning, cold as hell but still beautiful. As he drove his jeep down the road toward the Torchwood main building, he let his eyes wander over the landscape. It was dark, but the city was as lively as always. He arrived at Torchwood 1 ten minutes later. Getting out of the car he couldn't avoid a wistful sigh. This place had been his home since he could remember; now it was nothing more than a cage.

But he kept his hopes up; one day he would discover what had happened that night 5 years ago and will have his revenge.

_ooOoo _

"_I know you're there"_ the voice said _"Damn you Harkness, pick up the damn line"_ the man in the back seat was trying to sleep but the high pitched voice pierced his head. A few seconds passed before he finally decided to open the god damned connection line that was incorporated into the seat. Already in a bad mood he stretched, only to smack his head into the ceiling.

"Hell" he cursed as he raised his hand to his head "what do you want?"he barked to the person on the other end of the line

"_I see you're in a bad mood"_

"Yeah so stop with your rubbish, and tell me what the hell you want so I can get back to sleep," he barked into the headset.

_"Hey, don't get angry with me just because you have a foul mood when you wake up!" came the snarky reply. _

"Gwen, it's too early to start with your stupid children games. Tell me what the hell you want or you can go looking for a job elsewhere. Don't you have other poor souls to torture?" the man said in a warning tone. He wasn't in the mood for the comments of the woman and even less, now that he was beginning to feel the effects of hangover.

_"Fine" _was said in an offended tone _"The Doctor called, he wants to know how everything's going."_

Jack let out a weary sigh, as if the bastard did not know already

"Bad" was all he said as he pulled a bottle of whiskey from under the seat and drank directly from it. Nothing better to get rid of a hangover than more alcohol.

_"No kidding, how hard can it be to get Martha so sign his release form? I thought you were friends, I guess your charms are failing Harkness" _she laughed sarcastically

"What the hell is what you really want?" sighed Jack.

_"The Doctor says he wants you to get to Torchwood London headquarters and have the problem solved by nightfall. Things seems to be getting worse"_

"What things?"

_"What did you think I am, your secretary?" _She spat angrily, she might be patient and kind but not enough to endure the ravings of that idiot Captain.

"You work for me Cooper," growled Jack, tired of Gwen's attitude.

"_Yeah but I´m not your bitch," _Gwen pointed out.

"Bite me"

_"You wish" _and hung up without further delay. 

Jack let out a frustrated sigh. He didn't understand why he had agreed to take the mission personally instead of sending one of the other Torchwood operatives…Oh yeah, he owed Dr. Smith a favor.

Damn Torchwood London, he hated having to deal with these pseudo-bureaucratic idiots but asking for assistance was the only thing he could do at the moment and if he returned empty handed, the Doctor was going to kick his ass into the ninth dimension and back.

He climbed into the front seat, put the SUV in motion and made his way through the streets of London with one goal in his mind: get Torchwood 1 to release Ianto Jones.

ooOoo

Another file classified, labeled and organized, that leaves about 123,534 more to go. Ianto let out a tired sigh leaving the papers over the table before rubbing his eyes. Being stuck in that dark, little office day after day was really wearing him down but there was no chance for him to go back his old job. If there hadn't been one before there wasn't one now that Torchwood 1 was in business with UNIT.

He missed his old job, the adrenaline rush and the excitement, but above all he missed Lisa. Picking up the picture frame that was on his desk he smiled sadly at the woman in the picture, radiant in her light blue summer dress. He remembered that day, they had gone to Paris for her birthday, and he had never see her more radiant. That was the last picture he had taken of her before that last distastrous mission.

"Hey Tea Boy!" a voice called from the door of the archives, taking Ianto away from his dreadful memories. He didn't look, didn't even bother to raise his head from the photograph.

"Oi, don't ignore me!"

"What do you want Owen?" he finally said

"Just dropping by to say hello" answered Owen leaning against the door frame. "Thinking on dragging you to eat something because I'm pretty sure you haven't eaten a damn thing since breakfast."

Ianto turned to look at Owen,.The doctor had been his friend since their college days and even if Owen´s personality was a bit annoying he was one of the few friends Ianto had left. Even though he lived all the way back in Cardiff, Owen had made a habit to visit him as often as work let him.

"It's almost 3pm you prick" commented the doctor."Don't you own a clock or something?"

"Only a stopwatch" came the bemused reply.

"Very useful, come on you, it's not as if your work were the most important thing for the institute."

Ianto narrowed his eyes

"I'll tell you all the latest Cardiff gossip" said Owen before a clipboard hit him in the head

ooOoo

Finally arriving at the Torchwood London headquarters, Jack showed his ID to the guard at the parking kiosk. The man pushed a button to lift the garage door without saying a word; not that Jack, cared but a good afternoon would have been nice, though. He drove into the underground parking. Once parked, Jack took the elevator near the entrance to access the main wing of the complex. A few minutes later he walked to the primary wing of the building, he greeted the door man there. This one didn't greet him with a 'good morning' either.

Everyone there was cold and distant since the moment UNIT had signed the partnership with Torchwood, everything was impersonal and Jack hated it. Maybe it was because in Torchwood 3 he ruled. He had sent the protocol out the window the moment his old partner had told him about UNIT's plans. He may be using the name of Torchwood but his team has nothing to do with them now.

"Hey handsome," the girl behind the main desk greeted Jack effusively, "how are you today?"

"Fine Molly, you look good"

"You look kind of tired, did you have some fun last night?" she asked slyly

Jack gave her one of my seductive smiles "Maybe" he said as he winked, and she just laughed.

"One day Harkness, someone is going to take that flirting seriously and you are going to have trouble."

"Don't worry about me; I think I can manage myself pretty well"

"Miss Jones will see you right away" At that moment a door on his left opened

"Finally" said the woman looking at him tiredly "Come on in." Jack smiled at Molly before following the woman into the room.

It was a spacious office; there were shelves full of books on the walls. A sofa was off to the right in front of a coffee table and a huge black mahogany desk full of papers and a laptop. The woman sat in the chair across the desk facing him.

"Let's this over with," said Jack looking directly at Martha "what do I have to do for you to give me what I need?"

"You know it's not that simple Jack" Martha sighed, "I have told you many times. You haven't give me a reason to help you, I can't simply do as I please without putting my career in danger"

"Come on Martha, a little help here" he said

"You don't even know him" she exclaimed.

"I don't need to know him, all I need to know is that he's what I'm looking for and nothing else"

"No. Besides I owe you nothing" her voice was laced with apprehension. Harkness was a long time friend of hers but her current position within the agency was not safe.

Jack narrowed his eyes pinning her with his cold gray-blue stare, she was scared, that was good and would made his next move much easier.

"Maybe not me but if I recall you do owe a favor to one Dr. Smith'." An evil smile spread across Jack´s face the moment Martha´s blood left her face, he knew now that she wasn't going to deny him anything.

ooOoo

"Something wrong?" Owen asked to the Welshman looking at him from the opposite side of the table.

"Why do you ask? " replied Ianto while taking a sip of his coffee

"You've been looking off into empty space all afternoon and you only do that when there is something in your head that's bothering you"

Ianto paused to look at his friend "There are many things in it that bother me" he said before looking away.

"Nothing of importance" he quickly added

"I think you should take a break, get away from work a few days"

"Nonsense," he placed his cup on the table a bit too hard

"Ianto..."

"Enough" he said "You know I can't take the luxury. If I left then I won't be able to come back and I can't afford it"

Owen sighed. "If is because of the work you know you can get a job somewhere else. For god's sake mate, you are one of the most brilliant minds I know! You're efficient and would make a perfect archivist anywhere. Staying there won't get you Lisa back!" The moment he said those words he regreted them deeply. "Ianto I didn't meant to..."

But it was too late. The pain he could see reflected on Ianto´s clear blue eyes through his cold and composed façade was one of the reasons why he cursed his inability to think before speaking.

"You know what Owen? You meant it, that's the problem" he took a couple of pounds of his wallet and leaved then on the table "Have a safe trip back, call me when you get home." With that, Ianto stormed out of the restaurant.

As Ianto left the restaurant and made his way back to the office, he didn't notice the figure that looked out from inside the black car parked on the other side of the street.

The man had been watching him from a distance, and now he could not believe his eyes. At first he didn't fully recognize him; his hair was longer, ebony hair in stark contrast with his white skin, a pair of large, warm blue eyes that seemed to cut everything they focussed on. Those eyes seemed oddly familiar, but he wasn't sure if this was the one he was looking for, at least not until the moment his quarry opened his collar to rub his neck in an unconscious gesture, revealing the slight scar at the base of his neck. At that moment he fully recognized the man. It was him.

Turning on the car he headed into the late afternoon traffic. Things were going to get very interesting from that point on.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After his fight with Owen, Ianto didn't go back to work. As much as he hated to admit it, his friend was right: he could die right then and there and no one would miss him. Instead of heading to Torchwood HQ he decide roam the streets of London before going to his favorite place to get drunk off his ass.

"The Lair" was one of the busiest and most infamous nightclubs in the district. Its austere atmosphere contrasted with the bright electronic lights in combination with the beat of the music which created a world entirely different from the outside, it was an extremely attractive place despite being located in one of the not so secure London areas.

Ironically, it was one of the Welshman´s favorite places to crash. No one really knew him so he could leave his pretentions and composed façade at the door and just be pathetic man he really was. Once inside he moved gracefully toward the bar, sat down and asked for a glass of whiskey.

"Keep them coming Bob, I want to drink till I pass out" said Ianto to the bartender

"Bad day?"

"Not really, just average"

"Your life sucks man"

""Tell me about it."

Jack had been sitting at the bar for more than three hours now. After his meeting with Martha and a little persuasion…ok blackmail on his part, she had finally signed the transfer of the archivist. Everything was perfect or so he thought, he went to collect the man so he could get the hell out of London, only to find out that the archivist had been missing since mid afternoon and no one knew where he could be. So Jack decided that he deserved a night off, after all he could talk to the archivist in the morning.

As he drank he could distinguish a voice through the music, sweet welsh vowels that send a shiver down his eyes scanned the place until he found the source of the sinful sound. On the other side of the bar was one of the most delicious men he had ever seen: dark hair, fair skin, with gorgeous sky blue eyes and lips he could definitely kiss all night long. Even if his face was hidden in shadows and his posture indicated the man was somewhere between frustrated and sad there was no argument against the fact that Jack Harkness had finally found the one person he want to bed that night.

With one last sip to his beer he got up.

Ianto was finally enjoying his drink as he watched the other club-goers to pass the time. Despite being a bit late there were lots of people, the place was full of life and he couldn't avoid getting into the environment: couples dancing sensually to the rhythm of the music, people eating and drinking at the tables, and a few at the bar who seemed to be using the same strategy as him. Two men holed up in the end of the bar looked furtively at another. Sitting just beyond them was a man who was quite a sight to behold: tall, white, chocolate hair, eyes of a deep shade of grey-blue, dressed in black pants, boots, shirt and military coat. Hell, he was yummy. He was gazing intently at Ianto.

There was something about him that drew the eye, and yet left a clear message of DANGER,. It was the kind of guy Ianto had tried to avoid all his life. There was the odd feeling of having seen him before but he blamed it on the alcohol. Ianto shifted in his chair, a bit uncomfortable as he stopped to look at the man. It was clear there was physical attraction, he instantly felt it by the pressure in his pants. However, Ianto didn`t have the habit of hooking up with some random guy, at least not today anyway.

"Hello there" said the man making him jump a little "Mind if I join you?"

Ianto raise his head to look at idea, the sly smile the man was wearing made him feel as if the temperature had risen at least 10 degrees. Unable to speak, he gestured to empty stool next to him.

"Thanks. Give us two of whatever he is drinking." He asked to the bartender "It's on me" the man add with a wink

"Thanks…" muttered Ianto, somewhat apprehensive

"You're welcome" said Jack putting his hand absently on Ianto's thigh and patting it gently. Ianto could not help but shiver at the act; he looked at the man in the eye.

"Hope you don't mind" Jack simply said

"Not at all"

They sat there in silence for a long time, Ianto staring at his drink, Jack staring at Ianto until the Welshman had enough, it wasn't that he didn't appreciate the random company and obvious flirting of such sweet piece of meat but the fact that the ungodly amount of alcohol he had had till then was making him picture pleasurable scenarios, many of which included him writhing with pleasure. He stood up but before he could even take a step away the man's hand grabbed him by the wrist.

"You don't have to go"

"I must"

The man pulled him closer, their faces only inches apart then moved his lips to the ears of the Welshman and whispered seductively "Stay"

Ianto felt his face turn red as he pulled apart "I can't"

The man simply smiled and at that moment Ianto knew he was lost "Come with me" he added as the blue-eyed man got up.

ooOOoo

Ianto was lost in the tide of erotic sensations the man caused, his skin seemed to have be more sensitive, the smell of leather and maleness filled his brain as he felt the palm of a hand under his shirt and move over his bare chest, massaging, pinching. Another tongue pushing and stroking while taking full possession of his mouth. He could only tremble as he moved his head slightly to one side to give the man access to his neck.

The stranger´s free hand slid down Ianto's back, letting the tips of his fingers danced on the bare skin beneath his shirt, he let out a slight groan as he held onto the man's shoulders to keep his legs from giving in under his weight.

Part of Ianto, the logical part of his brain, told him this wasn´t a good idea. It wasn´t like he had ever done it with a stranger he just meet at the bar but there was something about this man that made every cell in his body burn and that scared the shit out of him.

Maybe it was because he hasn't shag for so long, or the unbearable need of feeling something other than pain but right there and then he felt alive and HELL he loved it…even if his conscience was going to torture him in the morning.

"Fuck" Ianto said the moment that hot mouth leaved his neck to focus on his nipple.

"That's the idea gorgeous" the man said with a smile before focusing on his task again.

It was good, so fucking damn good the Welshman couldn´t believe anything could spoil the moment…until the man´s cell phone rang.

"FOR FUCK´S SAKE" cursed the stranger leaving Ianto panting while he pulled the phone out of his pocket and answered "This better be good or I swear I will rip your heart out when I´m back!" Ianto stood there catching his breath while the man talked to the person on the other line with a worried expression on his face.

"There goes the magic" Ianto thought, unconsciously adjusting his clothes. He´d better get out of there before the uncomfortable part of the whole situation fell over him.

"I get it, I´ll be there as soon as I can" the stranger hung up before facing Ianto "Sorry about that but I gotta go."

Ianto said nothing as he finished buttoning up his shirt "Don't worry about it."

The man chuckle at the disappointment in Ianto´s voice "Who said I was going right away?" he closed the distance between them pinning Ianto against the wall again "I may not be able to taste you fully but I'm not going without a good bite of this sweet apple."

The man licked his lips and passed a quick look over Ianto's body before he kneeling down. He unzipped the pants to free the prominent erection of the Welshman.  
Ianto hissed at the touch of cold air against his sensitive skin, but that feeling was quickly replaced by great pleasure that made him lean back, seeking the support of the wall behind him the moment when the guy swallowed his cock down to the root.

Jack had been right, the Welshman was delicious.

He moved his head up and down, sucking from base to tip, moving his tongue around the full length. A symphony of deep moans filled the room. Ianto took his free hand and buried into the stranger´s hair when he felt the sublime pressure in his belly just moments before he came in his mouth. The man didn´t let go but continued with his movements until Ianto´s orgasm reached the end. The man rose slowly wiping his lower lip with his thumb and smiled. Unable to stand it, Ianto pressed tightly against him and kissed him deeply. tasting his own flavor in his mouth. When they broke apart to breathe the man smiled.

"I would have enjoyed taking you to bed but I have to go." The stranger kissed him one more time before pulling away, taking a cardkey from his pocket and handed to Ianto "The room is booked till tomorrow, feel free to use it"

Ianto opened his mouth to say something but the man put his finger over his lips to stop him "The pleasure was all mine" he said that he left the room.

Ianto immediately collapsed to the floor, a sly smile on his face.

ooOOoo

The next day, Ianto had buried himself behind his desk. As he had predicted, his conscience was being a nasty bitch, making him remember last night in vivid detail. It was a blessing no one came down to the archives unless absolutely necessary so he had been able to spend all morning doing nothing more than letting his mind wander.

Last night had been amazing, he couldn´t remember the last time he had felt so alive and turned on and OH GOD that man had been a feast for his eyes, so sexy and manly. Ianto wasn't surprised to feel attraction towards a guy, he had knowd he was bi since childhood but he had never met a man that could make him feel all warm and fuzzy and blush like a high school girl until that moment. But he wasn't deluding himself, he knew that had been once in a life time thing. There was no way he would be able to find the stranger again and it wasn't like he was looking for a relationship or a friends with benefits, he had better things to do.

His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of his communicator "Jones" it was Martha´s voice "I need you in my office".

What could the director want from him? Ianto stood up and headed to the main floor, only one way to find out.

ooOOoo

"Hey there Ianto" Molly said as he reached the main area of the building "It's weird seeing you up here"

He smiled politely to the girl "I´ve been summoned by Director Jones" an amazed expression crossed her face. Ianto rolled his eyes "Can you tell her I'm here, please"

Molly nodded as she got up and walked to the office door. She returned a few seconds later

"She's ready to see you now. Good luck"

Ianto nodded and walked to the office "Its Jones, ma´am" he announced himself before entering. Martha was sitting behind her desk, an odd expression on her face with a man sitting in front of her, his back turned to the door.

"Ah Mister Jones" she said smiling nervously "Let's get down to business" she took a deep breath before looking at him "You are being reassigned to another branch of the Torchwood institute effective as of yesterday, I need you to sign this release form so you can go with the Captain"

Ianto was taken aback by the news. How could have that happened? He looked at the back of the man who didn't move or even attempt to look at him "Why?" he could feel anger rising inside him. He had spent the last 3 years taking all the bullshit and hatred and shitty jobs his superiors had given him without complaint in order to be able to remain in this place and now this persos was telling him he had been transferred, just like that…

"Watch your tone Jones" she warned him "you are nothing more than an employee and you will do as you are told!"

"Now, now, there´s no need to be so harsh Martha" said the mysterious man for the first time as he got up "I´m sure this is a big shock for him"

_Big shock is an understatement_thought Ianto as his blood ran cold the moment the mysterious man turned around. There, in all his glory, was the stranger of last night. Same weight, same hair color, same clear gray-blue eyes and then it hit him.

Oh fuck no.

"Captain Jack Harkness" said the man stretching his hand "your new boss"

Ianto gasped like a fish out of the water "Jones, I...Ianto Jones. It's a pleasure" he finally said shaking his hand

"The pleasure is all mine Jones, Ianto Jones"


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ianto moved with ease within the confines of the archives gathering his belongings and trying to hide the uneasiness caused by the man leaning against the door frame. He couldn't believe his luck, of all the things he could come up with, being reassigned and having the new found object of his desires as his new boss was definitely not one of them.

"Are you going to say something?" Ianto said

"What do you want me to say?" asked Jack innocently

"Oh, I don't know maybe something about what happened last night" spat Ianto looking at Jack who simply raised an eyebrow "Do you have the hobby of making fun of your employees, _sir_" added the Welshman with venom

As Jack pushed himself off the door and crossed the short distance between them, Ianto was glad the desk was in the way so he didn't have to face the man closely "Are you going to tell me you didn't like it?" said Jack with a sly smile "Because the wanton cries of ecstasy of last night tell me otherwise"

Ianto felt his face heat and turn at least 4 different shades of red. The Welshman wanted to say a lot of things, most of them included curses but refrained. By the look on his new supervisor's face everything he said would be turned into some sexual joke, so he tried a more businesslike approach.

"I'm done here, sir. So if you will excuse me I need to take care of the things in my apartment" he said throwing the last of his belongings into the box

"I wouldn't worry about it, everything is being taken care of as we speak."

"WHAT?" this time poor Ianto was totally taken aback and beginning to have problems to concealing his anger "What the bloody hell do you mean by that?"

"Testy. Like you heard, all your things are being packed and transported as we speak"

And that was it

"YOU BASTARD" the Welshman yelped, practically jumping over the desk so he could turn the captain into a bloody pulp. Sadly the only thing he could do was land a solid punch to Jack´s jaw. Ianto couldn`t see the American's movements but felt the pain that covered him from shoulder to wrist from the abrupt way his arm was twisted up his back, which made him fall chest down against the desk.

"Let's make one thing clear once and for all, shall we?" Jack´s voice was cold and commanding "You are nothing more than a means to an end so I'll do whatever the fuck I please with you and your pathetic little life, Do I make myself clear? "

Ianto fought the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes as Jack straightened his hold but it was futile.

"Get off me, you animal!" Ianto furiously yelled.

Each word cut the Welshman like 1000 knives; he knew he was nothing more than a puppet at the mercy of whichever puppet master took the strings, but he didn't appreciate the fact that a perfect stranger had reminded him.

When Jack heard the pain in the Welshman's voice, he released him and took a step back. Jack hasn´t intended to be so rough with the young man but he was so accustomed to fighting to protect himself he acted on a reflex.

"Look, we started on the wrong foot..." Jack started.

"No shit" growled Ianto, trying to ignore the pain in his shoulder. And the fact that his face was stained with tears

"What do you say we just leave this conversation and all the explanations till we get back to Cardiff?"

Ianto nodded, it wasn't as if he had another option.

ooOOoo

A few hours later Ianto sat in the passenger seat of a black SUV heading to his homeland. Weird as it was, the idea of going "home" didn't feel that good. He had left that place as soon as he was of age and never turned back once, not even when his older sister Rhiannon, had his niece and nephew. I wasn't that he didn't love his family, god knew he adore the little brats. Even if his relationship with his sister was weak he still would lay his life down for her. However, Wales had too many unpleasant memories for him to deal with.

And now he was going back.

"What are we going, sir?" the Welshman asked later when they finally were driving down the streets of Cardiff

"To the Hub"

"The hub?"

"Our base of operations" said Jack with a smile "Headquarters sounds so standoffish we simply call the place 'The hub' " was the comment as he parked near the bay area. "Ok, we have to walk the rest of the way."

Ianto simply nodded before getting out the car and followed him. The two of them walked the short distance from the street to a small Tourist office in the bayside. Ianto follow the captain place didn't look that impressive on the outside but inside was another story. Jack gave a brief explanation of the structure as they walked to the levels below ground. Behind the little main area that served as an actual Tourist Office the Torchwood three facilities were impressive. The compound had 4 floors, the main level was the Tourist office with three additional underground levels. The first of the underground levels held a common area, with sofas and tables, a locker-room, a bathroom and a kitchen. The level down was the working area. Top of the line equipment was everywhere. Computers consoles, with some other machines Ianto didn't recognize, a green house and a conference room. And the third and last level down was where the archives and storage room were located. All of them connected by stairs and an elevator.

"So, what do you think?" asked Jack looking at Ianto as the younger man looked around with interest

"I must say I´m impressed" he answered, "but I don't see anyone here" he added noticing that even if the place was huge there was no personnel.

"That's because we don't need it" said a voice behind them. Ianto turned around to face a tall woman, with long, wavy brown hair and matching eyes. "We have few but we are the best of the best"

"Ianto, allow me to introduce you to my right hand and second-in-command: Suzie Costello"

"It's a pleasure to meet you ma´am."

The woman simply raised an eyebrow while studying him intently. "Pleasure" she said with no emotion in her voice before turning her full attention to Jack. "I'm heading out, must run some errands before stores close. The reports of every activity performed while you were away are on your desk, be sure you look at them today"

"Ill do it when I have some time" Jack replied coldly.

"Don't mess with me Harkness, you have enough paperwork undone to last until next Christmas so I suggest you to get it over with!" Suzie said as she stormed through the cog door.

"She is lovely" commented Jack as he draged Ianto to the other side of the floor where a beautiful Japanese woman was immersed in whatever program she was working on "And this is Toshiko Sato, our genius technician. Tosh, this is Ianto Jones." The tiny computer specialist shifted her eyes off the screen and looked at the younger man with a sweet and authentic smile on her lips

"It´s a pleasure" she said

"The same"

Tosh smiled at him again before returning to her job

"Don't mind her, she is a sweetheart, but she tends to get sucked into her work. Tosh, where's Gwen?"

"Last time I saw her, she was in the kitchen" replied Toshiko without taking her eyes off the computer screen.

"Thanks" Jack took Ianto´s hand and led him to the small kitchen area.

Inside was an equally young brunette trying to make an impressive coffee machine work.

"This damn thing doesn't work" she muttered with a Welsh accent that made Ianto smile a little "I will kill Jack for this!"

"Will you?" asked the captain casually making her jump

"God, Jack. Don't do that" she exclaimed before focussing on the other man. Her sweet smile let the gap between her front teeth be seen. "Hello there, you must be Ianto. I´m Gwen Cooper. We've been expecting you"

Ianto smiled. "Nice to meet you Gwen" he replied feeling a little bit nervous about her comment. They've been expecting him. What did she mean by that?

"Oh don't look like that; you'll see this place is not as bad as whatever impression Jack may have given you"

"Hey! I resent that" Jack protested.

"Resent it all you want" Gwen said to him "You were the one who decided to buy this thing without actually taking the time to ask if anyone here knew how to operate it!"

"You all were complaining about how annoying it was to go out to get coffee and now you complain because you can't get any. You are so difficult to please" Jack teased.

"JACK!"

"If may I say something?" Ianto interrupted "I may be able to help you."

Gwen and Jack looked at him with a questioningly. The Welshman just passed the woman and with expert moves started to operate the machine, and in less than 10 minutes, Ianto was able to produce 4 steamy cups of the most delicate coffee the other two had ever tried.

"Oh my goodness, pet" said Gwen "This coffee is heavenly. How did you do that?"

"I worked at a coffee shop to help pay for uni. We had an old version of this machine and well, I kind of enjoy coffee a bit too much"

"Well Jones, Ianto Jones, like Gwen said this is pure glory" commented Jack with a grin

Ianto couldn´t help but blush at the obvious pleasure in those grey-blue eyes. Maybe Gwen was right, maybe this place wasn't as bad as he had thought.

ooOOoo

Outside the Hub, in the warehouse district near the bay, a man was hidden in the shadows. The sound of water and cars on the road nearby were the only sounds heard in the night. Well, those and the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching. The man smiled the moment he saw it was the woman he was waiting for.

"So he's already here" he said matter-of-factly

"That's right" the woman replied "The captain is moving faster than we thought"

The man let out a cold, evil smile "Don't worry about it, this will only help us"

"Don't get cocky" the woman admonished "You know better than anyone how dangerous the man can be"

"Precisely because I know him I'm telling you this: I won't lose, not now and definitely not against a parasite like him "


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Two weeks had passed since Ianto was reassigned to Torchwood 3. His new job consisted of being an archivist, classifying field mission files, photographs, getting supplies for the Hub, etc. Not all that different from what he did back at London, but he couldn t deny his life had improved exponentially since he left. In London no one seemed to care if he was around, here his presence was more than welcome, especially if he had a cup of coffee with him. According to the girls and the captain his coffee making skills were out of this world. Not that he blamed them, he prided himself on doing everything, even the mundane task of preparing a cup of coffee, as perfect as he could. Aside from that he had learned just how different Torchwood 3 was from the London branch.

The Cardiff office only shared the Institute s name but it was outside it's jurisdiction and had its own set of rules. It was a pseudo military-bureaucratic organization responsible for maintaining the laws and enforcing them all around the Cardiff area. They were the like SWAT to the normal police force in Cardiff. No one outside the Torchwood Leader can tell an operative what to do or defy their authority on the field. Torchwood only followed orders from their direct superiors or a the crown but aside from that, they had absolute freedom to do what it took to get the job done. Because they had so much freedom from authority their numbers were limited as Ianto find out, to only 4 people. Well five, with him.

And that was one of the points that made him question the reason he was there. Toshiko was the technical genius, Suzie, with her sour character and all, was the best field agent, followed by Gwen. Jack's role seemed to be simple. He was the perfect boss, sexual jokes and childish behavior aside.

If all they needed was an archivist they could have hired anyone. Why go to so much trouble to get him specifically?

A wet tongue brought him back to reality

Myfanwy, stop it, he said to the dog who insisted on licking him 'til he paid some attention to her. With a frustrated sigh he let the file he was reading fall to the desk in front of him. Ok, food, I get it. Now stop it. The german shepherd barked happily before storming out of the archives, no doubt to get into the kitchen. Ianto couldn t help but smile at the memory of how she had ended up there.

What is that doing here? asked Suzie looking unhappily at the happy dog sitting obediently next to the young Welshman.

Oh come on Sue started Jack petting the head of Myfanwy, who seemed to be enjoying all the attention She is a beauty.

This is a criminal investigative office Harkness, not a zoo! She narrowed her eyes at the captain before transferring her attention back at Ianto And you didn t answer my question

Well, I just couldn t leave her at home, it s a small apartment and I have no other place to put her replied the archivist shyly.

I don t care, she's going! said the Suzie, trying to take the leash from Ianto s hands. She took a step back when the dog tried to bite her. She yelped trying to get some kind of response from Jack who simply laughed out loud.

What? It s not my fault she doesn t buy the 'big bad Suzie' front.

Harkness, Suzie growled at her boss.

Ok. Ianto, is this dog trained?

Yes sir.

And does she tend to bite people out of the blue

No sir, she only does that when she feels I m been threatened or she is scared

Then it settled, the dog stays said Jack looking back at Suzie And I won t have another word on the matter.

Fine she spat looking at the three of them like some kind of alien experiment and just walked away

Ianto glanced at the Captain, he certaintly was a strange man. Once the young Welshman arrived at the Hub that morning, he found Jack sitting on one of the sofas reading. Ianto was trying to came up with some excuse to explain why he had his dog with him, but before he could even say 'Good morning' Myfanwy had walked towards Jack and started licking his face. The man seemed to be taken aback for a few seconds before he started petting Myfanwy's head. What amazed Ianto the most wasn t the fact that the man didn t seem to care about a dog at their workplace but the fact that the antisocial German shepherd liked the captain. After Lisa s death, the dog had become his only companion and for some reason she didn t like anyone else other than him.

Hello there said a voice from the door. Ianto turned around to see a lovely Toshiko looking at him a bit sheepishly. He smiled at her

Hello Tosh, would you like some coffee? he asked knowing what her answer would be

If you're not too busy.

Just feeding Myfanwy, give me 5 minutes and I ll deliver it to your workstation.

Better take fifteen and bring 5 cups to the board room. I need you all there Jack s voice sounded on their Comms.

What s the matter Jack? Tosh asked.

Tell you when you get here. Hurry with the coffee Ianto

Yes Sir.

Once Ianto entered to the board room with a tray of coffee, the rest of the staff were already sitting at the oval table. He delivered the coffee to each of them before taking a seat.

Now that we're all here let s get started said Jack looking over his shoulder. A series of photographs depicting what appeared to be the scene of a bloody crime was showing in the plasma screen located on the wall These are the pictures of a murder that took place a couple of days ago in one of the local clubs .

Ianto suppressed the urge to vomit. He had heard on the news about the incident but didn t pay too much attention because the preliminary reports didn t detail the extent of the attack. However seeing it now with such vivid detail was enough to make even the bravest of men shudder. A quick look around the table told him he wasn t the only one feeling a bit off about it. Toshiko was as pale as a sheet, Gwen had an odd expression on her face and Suzie hid whatever she was feeling behind her perfect cold mask. According to the police reports a crazy man attacked 3 people in one of the private rooms. No one saw a thing.

Cause of death? Asked Suzie

The reports said that four hours prior to the bodies being found started Toshiko reading the file Jack gave her The victims had hemorrhaged and die from blood loss. There were cuts all over the bodies and a gag was stuffed in the victims mouth.

Ok wait a minute interrupted Gwen taking the file form Tosh s hands before giving a quick glance at it What does this have to do with us? I mean, I know what our job is but this is a simple murder case, a crazy idiot going on a rampage. This report said the police had the suspect in custody so...

Could you shut it for a minute said Jack We're getting to that part. Toshiko

As Tosh started explaining the situation again Ianto let his mind wander, there was something off about all this. As Gwen pointed out even if Torchwood three worked alongside with the police when it suited them this seemed like a normal murder case, so why all the fuss?

and the analysis confirms the presence of Retcon in his systems she said.

What did you say? Ianto snapped as he suddenly got up. Every eye in the room turned to him

What s the matter Jones? inquired Jack

Ianto ignored the captain's question and kept looking straight to the computer expert who seemed a bit scared by his attitude, so he tried a gentler approach Tell me Tosh, what did you just say?

I said that the toxicology report showed that there were traces of Retcon in the murderer s system

Ianto flopped on the chair, his mind going into a spin.

Ok, Suzie said with a cold, composed voice What do you know about Retcon, boy?

The Welshman looked at her but couldn t find the words, his mind going too fast for him to try and formulate a coherent response. Unconsciously he turned his attention to Jack seeking an answer in his eyes. The older man seemed to take pity on him because he got up and put his hand on Ianto s shoulder

Give him a break Sue

A break my ass Harkness. No one outside us should have knowledge of its existence and by his reaction I m sure he know something

Is that true? asked the captain gently, squeezing his shoulder

The young man nodded RETCON: the newest drug in the streets. A drug developed by Dr. John Smith as a medicine to treat patients with severe traumas. It s formula was stolen 5 years ago and now it s been sold as one powerful, highly addictive drug. Some of the effects of the drug are addiction, irritability, anxiety, extreme aggressive behavior, paranoia, psychosis, hallucinations, out-of-body experiences and a long list of other effects that haven't been identified yet. The main problem with this drug is the memory loss, one dose an you will lose approximately 12 to 24 hours of your life and if consumed in large amounts it causes death

Silence fell over the room, as Ianto kept his eyes fixed on his hands, afraid to see the reaction of his teammates. He knew Suzie was right, no one should know about that dreadful drug but he couldn t tell them the reasons why he knew such detailed information about a matter that was supposed to be a highly kept secret

See what I m talking about Jack said Suzie breaking the silence

That s enough Jack ordered We can deal with this latter. Gwen, I need you to call your friend Andy and see if you can get a hold of the original file on this case. Toshiko, try to find any information you can on our suspect and Suzie the captain narrowed his eyes at the woman Go and check the crime scene, as far as I know they haven t messed it up yet. The three women nodded before going into action. Suzie gave Ianto one last look before closing the glass door behind her.

The Welshman could felt a shiver running down his spine the moment the door closed, he was alone with the captain and for all he knew the man had to be extremely mad

Now then started Jack sitting in the chair next to the Welshman Were did you learn all that? And don t lie to me; you won t want to face the consequences of it

Ianto finally looked at him I was an archivist, I read a lot of interesting stuff back in London he said. It wasn t a complete lie, he did learn most of the things he knew from the archives but Jack didn t need to know that most of them weren t supposed to be opened, let alone read by him.

Jack got up again placing his hands on the armrests corralling Ianto Maybe but you know too many specific details

I I have good memory, sir

I bet you do Jack said moving his face to let inches away from Ianto s But we will discuss both issues later

Both? the Welshman repeat feeling his heart in his throat

I bet you remember me telling you how much I want to take you to my bed said that he close the distance between their mouths.

Ianto close his eyes and let his senses absorb the sweet shock of the moment. Ianto meshed his lips to Jack's and held on.

Many times Jack s tongue delved into his mouth and savored the honeyed taste.

A few moments later he broke the kiss. Ianto opened his eyes, his face completely red with embarrassment

Jack simply smiled Get ready to meet me outside in five minutes, we're going on a little field trip he said as he left the board room leaving behind a very confused Ianto. 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ianto didn't know why he kept thinking things could not get weirder knowing it was stupid. It was a law of the universe that every time you thought that something went horribly wrong. it was also human nature to cling to an idea with everything you had, even if you knew it was futile. And that was precisely what he was thinking the moment he and Jack stepped into the building where the police morgue was located.

"What´s the matter Ianto?" Jack's voice brought him out of his ramblings

"Nothing sir" Ianto replied, glad his own voice sounded calm. After what had happened in the boardroom the Welshman had a hard time keeping his thoughts in order. He knew the captain was not stupid and Suzie´s concern was more than enough to raise suspicion over him and his knowledge but his biggest fear was the tumult of confusing feelings that he seemed to have developed for the man in the span of less than a month. Nothing major had happened between them after that night at the bar other than an occasional glance while they were in the hub. An innocent brush of hands when the captain took the cup of coffee from him, but the kiss less than a hour ago was still very present in Ianto´s mind

"Is that's so? Then come on" the captain said.

They descended the stairs to the basement. The atmosphere of the place was cold and sterile, fluorescent lights making it a bit on the gloomy side, while the overpowering smell of disinfectant made Ianto a bit dizzy. The place was deserted with exception of a man in white coat bending over a corpse placed on the autopsy table, as soft jazz music echoed through the white walls.

"Hello doctor" said Jack with a singing voice. The man didn't bother to look at them while he continue working "Ok come on, you know we're here"

"I do" replied the man "Hard not to notice your presence Captain." Finally the doctor laid his scalpel over the body and turned around "You know how much I hate you taking me out of my office to drag me here to do this job for you because…" the man went silent the moment he laid eyes on the two men.

Ianto had a strong urge to break into laughter but his surprise was too large to even blink. Of all the people he could have encountered, his longtime friend was not one that came to mind. He glared at his friend, how could that be happening? Does this mean Owen knew something about all that happened?

"What in the name of all the hells are you doing here?" asked Owen, his face reflecting the same amusement that Ianto's did.

"Wait, do you know each other?" said Jack. _Ok stupid question_ thought the captain, by their reaction he could see that indeed they did and something told him they went way back. A foreign stab of jealousy hit the man.

"Shut up Harkness" snapped the doctor still looking at his friend. He had meant to tell him about this, that had been the main reason for his trip to London but the man had cut him short and they had not spoken since "Ok mate, this is awkward"

"You think?" said Jack still looking between the two men; Ianto looked like he was not going to utter a single word in the near future so the captain decided to save him the trouble. They could talk or punch each other later on their own time. "Gwen said you have the autopsy report on our murderer"

The doctor gave a last look to his friend before giving his whole attention to the captain "Yeah" he turned to his desk and grabbed a file "The one you have was a preliminary report, this is the complete one" Jack took it and started reading "It´s just like the other four Jack. His brain chemistry is totally fucked up and I've noticed now some specific parts of the brain are failing now"

"They're junkies Owen, its natural they're all fuck ups." The vicious look he got from the doctor almost made him wince "Sorry, so it is caused by the Retcon then."

"It's the chemical they are using to cut the drug, I´m not sure what it is but its reacting with the Retcon´s formula to affect the amygdale. As you know this part of the brain is triggered, normally, through becoming scared or angered, this in turn invokes the "fight or flight" response. The natural effect of Retcon is to null the effect of Serotonin and Acetylcholine. Whatever they're using now its making it worse."

"Do you think you can identify the substance if I get a hold of some drug?" said Jack

"Of course"

"So I think I should get my hands dirty. Have you considered my offer?"

"If things keep at this pace I think I must"

"I'm sure Tosh would be happy to have you around"

That made the doctor smile, Jack smile back and turn heading to the exit. Ianto stayed behind for a few more moments. Owen gave him an apologetic look "We´ll talk later I promise"

"Ianto, come on"

The Welshman simply nodded to his friend before going upstairs.

ooOOoo

"What was all that about?" asked Ianto the moment he got into the SUV

"Meaning"

"I'm not stupid, sir. I know there must be a reason for you to have me transferred here and I would like to know it."

Jack glance at him while he stared the car and took the road "Well Mr. Jones, I would like to know how is that you know so much about an affair no one outside of us should have knowledge of, as I'm sure you remember Suzie saying back at the Hub"

Ianto fixed his eyes to the road outside "I told you, I read about it back in London"

"Now Ianto, as you said I'm not stupid either but we can leave that subject for now" he stabbed at the link in his ear "Tosh, do you have anything on our suspect"

"_Yes, his name was James Porter, 37 years old, he had been in a out jail all his life, first convicted of drug dealing at age of 15, five similar convictions through the years but nothing major or related to aggressive behavior. He got out of jail about a year ago and had been in rehab since then"_

"Anything unusual?"

"_Not that I can see"_

"It's alright. Try to see if you can find something else"

"_Ditto"_

The rest of the ride to the bay was silent. Once Ianto and Jack got out of the car and started walking through the Torchwood building, Jack got a phone call

"Harkness. Yes, nothing yet. No. No. Ok, just give me 5 minutes" he turned to Ianto and handed him the bags of Chinese takeaway they had bought on their way "Go ahead, I won´t be long" The moment Ianto took the bags from him Jack practically flew across the plaza toward the car. The Welshman looked at him wondering about his behavior, it was the second time Jack left what he was doing in order to go and meet with someone else. Who could be that person? Ianto imagined it must be someone really important to the man if he always fled like that. The thought of what Jack was doing the first time Ianto saw him running made the Welshman blush a deep shade of red. Cursing himself for his daydreaming he turned around only to crash head-on into someone.

"I'm so sorry" apologized Ianto as he bent to collect the bags he dropped in the collision

"Oh don't mind me Mr. Jones"

Ianto tried to look at the man who was talking but stopped dead the moment he heard the CLICK of a gun

"Don't"

That voice, he knew it "You"

"Glad to see you still remember me"

"You" Ianto tried to stand but the cold barrel of a gun pressed against his skull

"This is not the time for this but don't worry, it will come…sooner than you all think"

"What?"

"You will see. It was good to see you again eye candy" Ianto unexpectedly received a kick in the stomach that made him bend in pain "Say hi to Jack for me"

By the time Ianto was able to focus again the man was nowhere around. It wasn't like he would have been able to recognize him but thought he could at least be able to capture some unusual feature in his attacker.

ooOoo

Jack sat on the big sofa in the Doctor´s office, and as usual the man was nowhere in sight. He had known Doctor John Smith for half of his life and while he cared for the guy a great deal, he could even venture to say at some point he may have loved him, but Jack just couldn´t take all the secrecy and mystery surrounding him and he hated it. He had enough shit to deal with himself to take on someone else`s. Jack smiled; that was not entirely true, he had a Welshman back at Torchwood, one that apparently was as secretive as his Doctor but for some reason the idea of mixing his issues and his wasn't that tragic.

"Wipe that smile of your face" said the famous Doctor entering to the room followed by a pretty redhead "I'm not in the mood to deal with whatever wet dream you``re having right now"

"Spoilsport. Hello there Donna"

"Stop it"

Jack just smiled "What was so important you made me lose my lunch hour John?"

"We have a leak on the case" said the woman "We were able to get a hold of an ex-UNIT agent. A chief operative, one of the people responsible for what happened 5 years ago."

"But?" added the captain,knowing there`s alway a but.

"Not even a high ranking member like him could give us any reliable information" said the Doctor

"The guy is pretty high-lipped. There isn't much difference between what we got out of his testimony and what we already know"

"So...?"

"The thing is he did say something we didn't know. According to him, there was someone that wasn't supposed to be at the hotel. Aside of them, the informant and the archivist, there was another guy."

"Another Torchwood Operative?"

"That's what we need you to find out. He said it could be because the man was following their target very closely but that they never interacted with each other"

"Are you saying he was the one that killed Rose?"

"You have the only person that can give us an explanation about what really happened that night."

Jack was taken aback by the coldness he heard in the Doctor´s voice. He had wandered all this time if the real reason why he was asked for his help was because he wanted to find out who stole the formula from him, or how they killed the woman they both had loved. And by the murderous look in the good doctor's eyes, he was starting to feel sorry for the poor bastard.

ooOOoo

Jack got back at the Hub later than he had expected. By the time he got there the only ones left were Toshiko, who had a habit of leaving late, and to his surprise: Ianto. The archivist was sitting in one of the divans on the common area so lost in his thoughts he practically jumped like an Olympian the moment Jack put his hand in his shoulder.

"You shouldn't be here"

"Neither should you" commented the younger man "You said you wouldn't be long"

"I know, I´m sorry" he smiled "Come on, I´ll take you home"

Ianto got up and wince, his stomach still hurt

"Did something happen?"

"No" Ianto lied, by the look on Jack´s face he knew the man didn't buy it but thankfully he didn't push the issue.

Ianto lived in nice little apartment not far from the bay. It took them about 10 minutes to get to the Welshman's flat. Jack parked the SUV outside the apartment building. Silence fell over them. Ianto knew he should get out of the car and into the relative safety of his home but for some reason he could not bear the thought of spending the night alone.

"Would you like to come up for a cup of coffee?" the words had been out before he could stop them. He looked at the man next to him waiting to see his reaction.

"I would love to" was all Jack said as he put his hand on Ianto´s thigh.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Jack had habilitated one of the Torchwood houses for the younger man where he could stay until he could find a more suitable place to live. It was not that the Captain was in a hurry, he wasn't about to rush the poor man after he, literally, dragged him out of his previous home.

He looked around as he waited sit on the black leather sofa, the place wasn't necessarily large but it was decorated with great taste. A few art pieces on the walls mostly of modern art and landscapes, a bookshelf with a great variety of books from history to science fiction to romance, some DVDs and a flat screen. The mahogany coffee table that was in the center of the room had some photo frames on top. Jack took the closest and examined the photograph with interest: It was a picture of Jack next to a dark-skinned woman with short hair and a little puppy between them, both embracing and looking at the camera. The American had the odd feeling of having seen this woman before. The sound of Ianto´s steps made him placed the photo back in its place.

He looked around as he waited sat on a black leather sofa, the place wasn't necessarily large, but it was decorated with great taste. Some art pieces hanged on the walls, they were mostly of modern art and landscapes. There was a bookshelf with a great variety of books from history to science fiction and romance, some DVDs and a flat screen. The mahogany coffee table that was in the center of the room had some photo frames. Jack took the closest and examined it with interest: It was a picture of Ianto next to a dark-skinned woman with short hair and a little puppy was between them, they were embraced and looking at the camera. The American had the odd feeling of having seen this woman before. The sound of Ianto's steps made him returned the photo to its place.

"Here" said the Welshman offering him a cup of coffee

"Thanks" Jack said and took it "I see you've grown accustomed to the place already"

Ianto sat next to him taking a sip of his own coffee "I'm not very demanding, sir"

They were silent. Ianto couldn´t help feeling uncomfortable with the presence of the captain. It was true that he had asked him to come but now what, why had he done it? It had been a spur of the moment, after his encounter with the man he had been looking for more than five years and the apparent revelation that he knew Jack, his brain had simply decided to act on its own too tired to actually think.

They were silent. Ianto couldn´t help feeling uncomfortable with the presence of the captain. It was true that he had asked him to come but now... what, why had he done it? It had been a spur of the moment, after his encounter with the man he had been looking for more than five years and the revelation that he had known Jack from the past, it seemed that his brain had simply decided to act on its own and he was too tired to actually think.

Ianto sank into the couch as much as he could until the pain in his ribs made him wince again "Damn" he said holding his sore side

"What is it?" asked Jack leaving his cup over the table before facing the Welshman "And don't say it is nothing"

Ianto wanted to ignore the pain and Jack, but the serious look in the older man eyes made it impossible "I just… I bumped against the side of one of the shelves down in the archives."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jack demanded with a serious voice

"Because it was a stupid accident, Jack." Ianto was trying to make his voice sounded as if nothing matter "It was not a big deal, nothing to worry about."

"It is making you wince every time you move" the man pointed out "I noticed it back at the Hub, so stop it" Jack moved closer to Ianto "Take off your shirt so I can see the damage"

Ianto blushed and moved as far as he could from Jack "There's no need" his voice laced with desperation "Just let it go, please."

"Like hell I will." There was one thing Jack Harkness couldn't tolerate and it was having one his team members injured, regardless of the injury "Take it off or I will do it by myself."

That made Ianto turned completely red, with trembling hands he unbuttoned the shirt exposing his torso. A bruise had begun to form at the bottom of his left ribs and thanks to the fact his skin was paler than normal the bruise was extremely visible.

"Did you bump into the shelf or did it fell over you?" Jack asked gently moving his hand over the wound to make sure that there was nothing broken. He could felt Ianto shudder, he was not sure if it was because of his touch or because he was hurting him. When the captain looked up and saw the young man with his eyes closed, a light blush on his cheeks, he couldn´t stop the memory of their night in that hotel back at London

He had tried to suppress the urge of jumping over the Welshman for a while now and have had to muster all his willpower just to act normal when the younger asked him to come along into his home but now, having him like that was too much for a normal man to take.

He had tried to suppress the urge of jumping over the Welshman for a while, and now, he had to muster all his willpower just to act normal when the younger man asked him to come along into his home. But now, for Jack, having him like that, it was too much for a normal man to bear.

Ianto froze the moment he felt Jack's lips on his, he snapped his eyes open to see the older man's closed. How in heavens name had that happened?

What had possessed Jack to think that harassing him sexually was a good idea?

But above all… Why in the name of everything that was sacred was he getting aroused over a kiss?

Oh yeah, he invited him over so this was not the time to start blushing like a virgin, the Welshman kissed him back a little unsure but with the same passion.

Jack smiled into the kiss and leaned forward a bit more causing their bodies to touch. Everything was just perfect or it was until he heard the painful growl that escaped from Ianto's throat as he leaned over his injury. The captain broke the kiss, both men panting heavily.

"I think I should go" he said looking into the other man eyes

The Welshman simply nodded embarrassed. Jack smiled again before kissing him this time more gently "Get some rest and I´ll see you tomorrow" said this, the American got up and storm out of the apartment. One outside, he leaned against a wall taking deep breaths and banged his head against it a couple of times trying to restore his calm, he stood there for a couple of minutes until the nagging pain in his groin started to annoy him. "Ok" he said at loud moving back to the SUV "And now a cold shower"

ooOoo

"Something wrong with Ianto?" asked Gwen to Jack. The Welshwoman had been able to get a hold on the original file of the murders the night before, it had only cost her a bit of flirting and a few beers, after all she knew Andy still fancy her even if she was engaged with her boyfriend Rhys, a part of her feel sorry for using him but this was Torchwood "the end justifies the means" most of the time.

"What do you mean?" asked Jack without tearing his eyes from the report of the crime scene. He had noticed that that morning. Since the moment Ianto had come to work that morning the captain could said he wasn't been himself: he had dark circles under his eyes and a tired expression on his face.

"That's not important now" said Suzie her voice laced with exasperation "Can we focus on the matter in hand" Jack gave her an apologetic look, she was right; he will deal with whatever was happening to the younger man later

"Fine. According to this file there is nothing we don't know" he let the file over the table "But by the look on you face I can tell you discovered something on the crime scene"

Suzie smiled proudly "What do you take me for?" she handed a torn flyer "I found it stuck between the floorboards"

It was a part of what seemed to be an advertising flyer of a rehab clinic; Jack studied for a few seconds "NewHope Rehab Center" he read.

"Yeah, I did a little research and apparently it's one of the newest rehab centers in town; it was built by the state three years ago thanks to an anonymous donation. The administration of the place was taken over by a private entity as soon as the center was open and it has been run by them since then"

"And apparently no one thought that was strange" said Jack sarcastically "And your point with this is…"

"Toshiko said our murderer had been in and out of rehabs centers in the last years and guess which center was the one he visits?"

Jack smile "That's why I love you, Suzie"

"Keep it in your pants, Harkness" she said rolling her eyes "This is all circumstantial evidence. The fact that the pamphlet was at the club means nothing, any weirdo could have left it there or it may have been there a long time"

"Maybe but is the only lead we had and is better than nothing" the captain answered "We need to find a tangible connection" he tapped at the com in his ear "Tosh, I need you to use your beautiful hacker skills and find me the record of James Porter and any other information about him and his activities in the NewHope Rehab Center"

"_Got it"_

"So what do we do now?" Asked Gwen

"You will stay here to help Tosh. Suzie you go to the clinic and try to find something there, Ianto and I will go pay a visit to James apartment and see what we can find"

ooOoo

The apartment building where James was living was located in Splott. It was a dilapidated building and by the looks of it the only ones who lived there were James, rats and stray dogs.

"Cozy" said Jack as he got off the vehicle, Ianto just behind him "According to Gwen, our man lived on the 2nd floor. We will start our search there"

"What are we exactly looking for, sir?" asked Ianto drawing his gun out and removing the safety

"Drugs. I need a sample so Owen can analyze it" Jack noticed the Welshman cringed at the mention of his friend "Sorry, I forgot."

"Is not your fault, sir"

Jack said no more as both men entered the building. The place was not better off inside, the floor was cracked, there were holes in the walls and roof seemed about to collapse at any time.

"This place is bigger than I thought" commented the captain "I'll go upstairs, you stay here and see what you can find. If anything comes, get me on the radio"

"Are you trusting in me for this?" said Ianto truly amazed "I´m just an archivist."

"That's what you do, not what you are. I read your file, Jones, you were trained to be an operative and passed the entire field test with high scores, and I´m sure you will manage it."

The grateful look on the Welshman´s face wasn't lost to the captain and he stored the knowledge to take full advantage of it later.

As Jack up the stairs, Ianto started searching for anything that could help them with the investigation. He walked down the hall and entered into one of the rooms. There wasn't much to see: an old mattress on the floor, boxes of takeaway scattered all over the place and the unpleasant smell of mildew and rotten food filled the air. Ianto had to make an effort to withstand the urge to run, he didn't understand how anyone could live in such conditions.

While looking around he noticed something that caught his eye: a censer in the corner of the room. He knelt in front of it and immediately a gentle aroma of what could be described as melons invaded his nose. He didn't knew why but the thing seemed very out of place

"Jones" said Jack voice behind him, Ianto turned around to see the captain standing in front of him, his face hide by the shadows in the room.

_Wasn't he supposed to be upstairs?_

"Let me show you" Jack said putting his hand over his eyes, suddenly he started to feel weak and dizzy "I will ended you suffering"

And for the second time in less than 2 days Ianto heard the CLICK of a gun. He instinctively hit the man's arm, causing the weapon hit the floor before throwing a punch that hit him full in the jaw. As the man stumbled back Ianto forced his eyes to focus and tried to get a hold of the gun.

"Jack" Ianto tried to contacted the captain but there was no answered "Jack"

"I'm here" said the man recovering from the blow

"You are not him" growled the Welshman pointing the gun at the man. His eyes finally were able to focus on him, to his surprise he did look like the captain but Ianto trusted his instincts to not be fooled "Who are you? What did you do with Jack?"

"Are you going to shoot me?" Ianto tried to keep focused but it was difficult yet his sense of hearing seemed to be intact and was able to realize that the voice of the fake Jack sound like the one of a woman "Would you be able to bear the death of another partner" The person in front of him morphed and this time and Ianto's heart stopped "Who are you?" It was Lisa, she was getting dangerously close to him.

"Get away" Ianto said, his hands trembling "Get the fuck away from me"

The last thing he remembered was the sound of a gunshot and a woman´s scream.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Ianto wasn't sure how long he stood there in a pseudo catatonic state. He was sure he hadn't lost consciousness because he could remember shooting someone and that someone running away. The shock of seeing Lisa there or most likely what had been a hallucination of some sort was enough to bring him down. It took all his willpower just to move, he needed to find Jack, as the captain hadn't responded to his call which made Ianto wonder about his safety.

"Jack" he called again moving down the hall on shaky legs. There at the bottom of the stairs was Jack's unconscious form. Ianto bolted down, to knee in front of the man. Sleek red blood ran down the man's forehead "Jesus!"

"Ianto?" said the captain in a low voice coming back to his senses and trying to get up

"Thank God. I´m here" he said as he helped the man to his feet "I´ll get you some help don't worry" Ianto took Jack out of the house and into the SUV before returning to grab the sencer and the gun.

Going back to the Hub was out of the question, he knew he should go back but something told him they needed to find answers before letting the others know, so he drove to the only place he could think off: Owen's private clinic.

ooOoo

Jack had a weird dream: he was inside a van monitoring the movements of Rose who, in spite of his and the Doctor´s warnings, had decided to investigate on her own the theft of the formula she and John had worked so hard to develop. He knew he should have stopped her, it was too dangerous for her to act like an operative of sort but he also knew it would be useless. The thing he loved the most about the blond girl was her wild spirit.

She was supposed to meet with some lesser drug dealer who had some insight on a new drug about to hit the market, a simple job: in and out.

He should have known better. After hearing her struggle with someone who wasn't supposed to be there he left the van and ran towards the Hotel. Everything after that was a bit blurry, he dreamt in fragments: he heard Rose scream, saw himself running through the streets until the dream shifted, now he was hidden between 2 buildings avoiding all the Unit cadets. He saw something that caught his eye: a pretty dark-skinned woman arresting a man. Jack saw her look over her shoulder and smile seconds before being gunned down. He heard screaming, a familiar voice he knew but couldn't quite place

_Jack_

She looked like the woman he had seen at Ianto's flat

_Jack_

He saw a young man running toward her body and another man moving behind him.

_Jack_

Jack awoke disoriented, his head ached greatly, it felt as someone was break dancing in his head "Damn" he said opening his eyes

"Welcome back, Harkness" said a voice next to him. Jack turned his head to see who it was

"Owen?"

"Were you waiting for somebody else?"

"What happened? How do I get here? Where is Ianto?"Asked Jack trying to get up from the bed, his head was spinning as memories from what had happened come back to him

"Easy there" said Owen putting his hand on the captain´s chest to stop him "You need to lay down"

"Answer me Owen" Jack demanded

"I will as soon as you stay still" the doctor´s voice was firm as he held jack by his shoulders and made him lie down on the mattress "Now: I have no idea what the hell happened to you, Ianto got you here in the SUV and as for him" Owen´s eyes moved to the bed next to him and so did Jack´s "A strong blow to the ribs and symptoms of fatigue but aside from that he's as good as new" Owen spoke to Ianto "Make him lay there, I will fetch some some anti-inflammatories "

"Thanks Owen" said Ianto to his friend as the doctor left the room. The Welshman turn his attention to the man on the bed "How you feeling?" It was a stupid question but it was all Ianto could think about at the moment. After bringing Jack to the clinic and having to endure Owen´s complaints about how irresponsible and dangerous and stupid both were he had spent the last 3 hours waiting for the captain to awake

"Like someone had hit me. Are you alright?"

Ianto smiled "I´m fine, Owen took care of my injury and gave me some tea to help me relax" The young man looked at his feet "I´m sorry, I should have paid more attention"

Jack cursed making him look back up "Don't be stupid Ianto" he said with a half smile "It wasn't your fault. It was mine; I shouldn't have suggested we split"

"It was the logical curse of action, the place was too big"

"Logical maybe but not wiser" Jack laughed sarcastically "Look how we ended, and to this point any evidence should be gone"

"Not necessarily" said Ianto. Jack looked at him as if he had lost his mind "I was able to retrieve something before I brought you here" the Welshman opened the backpack that was next to him and took out the sencer "I found it in of the rooms. I had Owen analyze the remaining content of the incense and it turn out to be a barbiturate derivate but he hasn't identified which one yet."

"That would explain why you used a pipe to hit on the head" commented Jack

"I beg your pardon?" asked Ianto

"I smelt something, like melon, the moment we stepped into the house. I thought it was some food that had gone bad but apparently I was wrong" he laughed "I can believe I didn't notice it was a hallucination, I must be getting old" Ianto was amazed but also seemed not to be getting what he was trying to say "Whatever it was, served as an excellent hallucinogen."

"I saw you, I mean, I saw someone that looked and sounded like you" explained the Welshman

Jack looked concern at this "This is not good, if someone burned it to influence us it means they knew we were coming"

"I have the results of the analysis" interrupted Owen getting back in to the room with an injection in his hand "I have seen this type of drug before: it's benzodiazepine" he added before injecting a yellowish liquid into the captain's arm.

Jack groaned at the sensation of burning the fluid produced at being injected into his bloodstream "what are you trying to do: help me or kill me?" he looked at his friend sneering

Owen rolled his eyes "stop acting like an old woman and take it like a man"

"What is benzodiazepine?" interrupt Ianto before both men began to lose the point of the conversation

"Benzodiazepines are use in treating anxiety, insomnia, agitation, seizures, and such. In general, benzodiazepines are safe and effective in the short term, although cognitive impairments and paradoxical effects such as aggression or behavioral desinhibitionoccasionally occur."

"Are you saying that's what they're mixing with the Retcon?" asked Ianto.

"It makes sense, after all the Retcon by itself inhibits the serotonin so if you mix it with another drug that will maximize the effect."

"You'll end up with wild animals you can induce and control" said Jack "We need to find who is behind all this and stop him. Owen…"

"I know Harkness, this is not a laughing matter and if I can be of some help then I will go with you"

ooOoo

The ride back was silent; Ianto was driving and looking at Jack with the corner of his eye. He was worried. After coming to the realization that someone might be spying them the captain seemed to shut himself away leaving the younger man to wonder. They hadn't told Owen about their suspicions that someone may be spying on them. Ianto had the feeling it was because Jack wasn't so sure it was someone from the outside. If he thought about it was virtually impossible an outside force had access to their communication networks, if that were the case Toshiko would have noticed by now which left them with one possibility: one of the members of the team was a spy.

The Welshman knew, even if he didn´t say it at loud, that Jack flatly refused to accept that possibility, after all these months he had learnt the captain had a blind faith in each of his subordinates but Ianto wasn't stupid: he knew by experience people could be bought, persuaded or simply shown their true colors when the circumstances were right regardless who got hurt in the process.

Once they got into the hub, the interrogation by Gwen and Toshiko was immediate. Jack gave them a quick summary of what happened and then managed to persuade them to gather in the board room in 20 minutes to compare what they had discovered. That would give Owen time to settle in the medical bay, and to them time to rest.

"Do you know something about Suzie?" asked Jack to Tosh over the intercom once he and Ianto were alone in his office

"_Nothing yet. I suppose it's because she must be still at the clinic and didn't want to raise any alarms" she said not very convinced_

"If you find something let me know" he added before cutting the connection. Jack let out a tired breath as he leaned back in his chair; fatigue finally seemed to have caught up with him.

Ianto sat in the chair on the other side of the desk. He also felt tired but knew he needed to stay alert, something told him worst things were yet to come.

"I have a question for you" Jack voice startled him "Yesterday I saw a picture of you and a woman in your apartment. Who is she?"

The Welshman didn´t know what to answer quite simply because he never thought Jack could ask him anything about his private life. Besides, that had nothing to do with the current situation.

"Well" insisted the older man

"She was…she… she was my girlfriend" he finally said, a sad smile playing on his lips

"Was?"

"She died 5 years ago" Ianto didn't know why he was telling Jack that

"How did it happen?"

"I don't mean to be rude sir but that is none or your business" Ianto was a very secretive person and he didn't like people to pray into his life

"I beg to differ Jones" said Jack with a cold edge in his voice "You see, that blow in my head happened to do more than just knock me out, it helps me remember a few things I thought I couldn't"

Ianto straightened in his chair staring at the man lost of words. What was he implying? Did Jack know something about what happened 5 years ago? Did he know Lisa?

The answer to those questions were lost when Toshiko's voice was heard over the intercom _"Jack, we have a problem"_

"What is it Tosh?" he asked never breaking eye contact with the younger man

"_We have a visitor"_

"Really?" the _and-how-the-hell-is-that-a-problem_ tone in his voice must had been very clear because he could heard the Japanese woman breathe in sharply

"_John Hart is here" she said_

Oh hell, now THAT really is a problem thought Jack as slammed his hands over the desk.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

"What are you doing here, Hart?" asked the captain, his arms crossed over his chest.

Tall, well built, with dark hair and light eyes, John Hart was by many standards an extremely attractive man, his sly smirk and relaxed attitude made him all the more appealing. Jack though, knew the truth, he knew that behind the façade, there was one of the most twisted and coldblooded minds he had ever had the misfortune to cross paths with.

"Oh, I missed you too sweetheart" John said with way too much honey in his voice making the captain skin crawl.

"I´m not in the mood to deal with you John so give me one good reason why I shouldn't toss your sorry ass out of here."

John simply kept smiling as he sat in one of the chairs. He put his feet on the table and looked directly into Jack eyes "We haven't seen each other in what? Four to five years and this is how you greet me" he tsked,"I thought you had better bedside manners."

Jack's fury was rising exponentially with every word the other man said but he knew he couldn´t give into his anger, he knew John all too well to know this was one of his tactics to get the better of him. "Yeah right, and they were good years 'til now" the captain added sarcastically "I will ask again what are you doing here?"

By now John seemed to realize Jack wasn't in the mood for games, even if John lived for them, so he decided to play nice "I just wanted to know how you were" he simply said "I heard you were injured in the course of action"

Jack narrowed his eyes "How did you know that?"

The other man smiled "You're not the only one who happens to have informants dear" he said before laughing a little "besides, you look like crap."

Jack slammed his hands onto the desk once more "I told you Hart, I´m not in the mood so speak now or God help me I will stick that smile of yours in a very uncomfortable place"

"You are no fun at all" pouted John, as he sat in a more normal position, still looking the captain in the eye "Ok then, if you want to get serious then I'll play. "I´m here to give you a bit of advise about this little war of yours."

ooOoo

Ianto sat on the floor down in the archives petting Myfanwy´s head. He didn't have a clue of who John Hart could be, but whoever he was he seemed to have a relationship with Jack, a not too good relationship by the enraged expression the captain had on his face at the mere mention of his name. The Welshman only got a brief glimpse of the man as he left Jack´s office to let them talk. There was something in that man, in his cold gray eyes especially that made every hair on Ianto´s body stand on end. If he hadn't known better he could have sworn the man smiled at him as if he already knew him. But that was ridiculous, Ianto was sure that this was the first time he had ever laid eyes on John Hart.

And there was the thought that had hovered in his mind since the moment he saw Hart. It was stupid but a part of him thought that maybe he was the same man that kicked him the day before, the same one that had killed Lisa.

Ianto shook his head, that was impossible. He got up and made his way into the main floor of the hub, he wanted answers and he was going to get them. Toshiko was nowhere in sight, the Japanese woman had become one of his few friends since he got back and he was sure she would have been able to help him. Owen was out of the question since the doctor was too engrossed in the analysis of the Benzodiazepines, enjoying the fact that the medical equipment of the Hub was 10 times better than the one he had at the clinic. So he settled for plan B. Ianto went into the kitchen were Gwen sat at the coffee table reading the newspaper.

"Hey pet" she said the moment she saw him "Want a sandwich? I made some" she gesture to the food over the table

"No, thanks Gwen" he said politely, Gwen was a gossip machine but you had to know how to trigger her interest in the subject you want to know about and so he used the one thing that always win people over "I was about to make some coffee, would you like some?"

"You read my thoughts Ianto" Gwen happily said

Ianto smiled at himself as he worked, a few minutes later he sat in front of the Welshwoman, the dog lying down next to him. Ianto chewed his lower lip trying to came with some small talk before he break the question but to his relive Gwen spoke first "Did you know Captain John Hart?"

Ianto shook his head "No, this is the first time I've seen him, do you?"

"Oh yeah, well not personally but I heard some interesting things about him in the time I worked with the police" she answered

_BINGO_ thought the young man "Interesting eh? It looks to me that Jack knows him" he casually said

"Oh, he more than _knows_ him, according to my old boss, before Jack became the head of Torchwood 3, he worked with Unit, and so did John." Gwen said "They used to be partners"

"In what way?" Ianto asked before he could stop himself

"In every way" she answered with a sly smile that only emphasized the double meaning of her words "I can't say this for sure of course but everyone in Unit said they were lovers."

Ianto felt a stab of jealousy he didn't understood but then realized something "I presume their relationship ended up wrong" Gwen raised an eyebrow at the too pleased tone in which he had said that "I mean, Jack wasn't pleased when Tosh told him John was here."

"Who knows? I don't know all the details but according to everyone John doesn't have the healthiest of personalities" she closed the news paper before finishing her coffee "I guess I need to go back to work" she added getting up "Want to join me? I have some information about the NewHope center you can see."

They got out of the kitchen, only to have the bad luck of encountering Jack and John as they made their way off the captain´s office.

"I´m telling you Harkness" John was saying as he walked next to the man "Don't go near that place." He stopped the moment he saw the other two, a wicked smile on his lips "Well, well, well" he crossed the distance between them and took Gwen´s hand, "Such beauty working for Harkness is definitely a waste!"

Gwen blushed and smiled weakly to the man, he smiled back before turning his attention to the Welshman "And what do we have here?" the glint in his cold eyes was feral as he looked Ianto over from head to toe "Such delicious eye-candy you got here Harkness"

Ianto was speechless; his mind black, his heart racing, his blood frozen in his veins. That voice, Oh for the almighty God in the heavens it was THAT voice again. For the first time in 5 years he could gave that voice a face and it was every inch as cold and merciless as he had always imagined it could be, if not more.

"John Hart, it is a pleasure to meet you at last," John declared, putting his hand out to Ianto. The Welshman didn't know what to do, on one side he wanted to take out his gun and kill the man right where he stood, on the other hand he still needed answers to many questions that were filling his mind. The shock of actually seeing the man in front of him, acting like nothing had happened was too much. Luckily, Myfanwy seemed to sense his discomfort as her protective instincts soon appeared. The animal lunged forward with the intention to tear John´s arm off.

"The fuck" the man yelped taking a step back just in time "what the heck is wrong with that thing?" he asked looking at Ianto and then Jack.

"I think the dog doesn't like you Hart" said Jack with a pleased smile "neither do I. So Iike I said get. The. Hell. Out."

John glared at the captain "You will regret it Jack, I was trying to help" he looked back at Ianto one more time "See you later eye-candy" and without another word the left the building.

"What was that all about?" Gwen asked looking puzzled

"Nothing important" answered Jack looking at the Welshman "Are you alright?"

"I…I…"Ianto was about to lose it and the last thing he needed was to have to give an explanation to anyone, especially not Jack. "I´ll be right back" he said running towards the bathroom to throw up.

ooOoo

Ianto left the Hub after that. He managed to prevent himself from having a panic attack but his mind was so far gone with all the questions that ran around it that he simply couldn't manage to maintain his controlled façade in front of the team anymore.

He sat on his sofa looking at the roof of the house, a glass and a bottle of scotch in the table in front of him. It wasn't a big surprise that a few hours later his front door was opened and Jack entered the apartment, Myfanwy obediently walking next to him. The captain entered as if he owned the place, taking off the jacket and putting it over one of the nearest chairs as he made his way into the kitchen. Ianto heard him move but didn't bother to turn his head to actually look at what he was doing. A moment later the captain sat next to him with a glass in his hand. Neither of them said a word as they just sat there, in utter silence, drinking. Finally Ianto decided to move his head to look at Jack. The captain seemed to be exhausted, his eyes troubled and there was an air around him that told the Welshman he was about to crumble at any moment.

That is the first time Jack looked more than human into Ianto´s eyes and so, even if he didn't feel like it he spoke "What happened?"

Jack took a sip of his scotch, his eyes fixed on the amber liquid in the glass "I could ask you the same question."

Ianto smiled a little, they already had that conversation and for some reason the familiarity of it made him feel less bad. "But I asked first," he teased.

Jack smiled back, maybe he was thinking the same thing as Ianto, but the smile lasted only a couple of seconds "Suzie is missing" he finally said.

"How?" is the only thing Ianto could ask, the pain in Jack´s voice too much for him to take. Ianto didn't understand these feelings, he had his own set of troubles but there was something in this man that made him lose focus, made him feel like he needed to protect him, made him feel like he used to feel about Lisa. That thought pained him, of all the moronic things he could have been thinking at that moment, the fact that he seemed to have developed feelings for Jack Harkness was last on the list.

"According to Tosh, she made it to the clinic but after she left, Tosh her track."

"I´m sure she's fine, maybe she's following some clue and hasn't had time to contact us." Ianto knew it was improbable but he hoped. It was true he and Suzie Costello didn't have a good relationship, hell, they didn't have a relationship at all but the woman was Jack´s right hand, a good friend and it was obvious her sudden disappearance was affecting him

"Yeah right" the captain said drinking the rest of the alcohol before pouring more into the glass "As if I didn't have enough problems already"

Ianto swallowed the lump in his throat, he didn't want to talk about it but this wasn't about him, even if it actually was "John Hart" he said in a low voice

Jack finally raised his eyes to look into Ianto´s eyes. "Yeah" he left his glass on the table and turned his full attention to the Welshman. "You know him." It was a statement of fact. Jack wasn't stupid, far from it and the dreadful reaction John got from the younger man and his dog was enough proof for him. "Don't lie to me Jones, Ianto Jones" Jack warned, his grey-blue eyes shining with a swirl of emotion.

The Welshman swallowed again looking everywhere but those eyes "No" it wasn't a lie, he really didn't know the man, just his voice.

"Ianto" Jack took Ianto's face in his hands to force him to look up. "He is a dangerous person Jones. Tell me the truth."

"I already did" the Welshman insisted "I don't know him"

"You're lying" Jack dug his fingers into the boy's jaw making him parted his lips slightly "Don't lie to me Ianto" his voice was low and slick as he moved his face to Ianto´s "Not you too" Jack said as he kissed him.

Perhaps it was because of the alcohol in their system combined with the medicine that Owen had prescribed, or perhaps the pressure of the day's events finally reached him, whatever the reason the simple act of kissing each other didn't seem out of place.

Ianto sighed into to the embrace. Kissing Jack Harkness was like coming home, it was pure bliss. He slipped his arms around the man's waist to move his body even closer to Jack.

Jack's tongue slid into Ianto's mouth when he sighed to devour his mouth. Kissing Ianto Jones was a dangerous, addictive thing to do but such a wonderful thing all at the same time. He knew he shouldn't be doing it. God help him, he knew it but it was impossible not to, the Welshman was so inviting, so naïve in his own way, so open and honest. Jack despised his all too well kept secrets that the captain wasn't able to deny the fact that the innocent Welshman had crawled under his skin without even realizing it.

The lack of oxygen forced them to separate only for a few seconds before their mouths met again, more violent, more passionately. At this point Jack had the Welshman in his arms and the other man had his legs around his waist, the heat that emanating from their bodies was beginning to rise despite the freezing temperature outside.

The captain let his hands dance casually under the button-up shirt while his mouth moved. to bite Ianto´s neck. In turn, he gasped and tried to undo the shirt Jack wore. The older man was faster at his task and with a sudden motion removed the fabric and exposed the younger man's chest.

"I have wanted to do this from the moment I first saw you" Jack said with a husky voice, eating Ianto with his eyes. The Welshman blushed violently coming to the realization of what was about to happen. He looked into Jack´s eyes only to see his own lust mirrored in them. That settled the it.

"So did I" the young man answered before kissing the captain again.

Whatever happened in the morning, whatever problems they had on their backs or even if the world were about to end, all that could wait until tomorrow. Right now, the hot, hard body covering his was all that mattered to Ianto.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Jack had woke up about 20 minute ago, he had tried to get back to sleep but for some reason his mind was restless, so he laid there, looking at the face of the man who was asleep next to him. Ianto looked so peaceful and innocent when he slept. There was an air of childishness about him, like if while he was sleeping whatever horrors in his past simply vanished. Jack smiled, Ianto maybe was young but he definitely had the mind and appetites of a man. Last night had been incredible, point given, the captain had slept with countless people, men and women alike, but now he could said for sure that the Welshman had been the best of them all.

But for some reason he couldn't apiece his mind. It has nothing to do with the awkwardness of the "after sex thing" far from it but John's words that rum his mind without a rest. Jack cursed, why did he have to be thinking in that piece of trash? Oh right, because even without been there John had the ability to ruin his life.

The captain got up as silently as possible, he would let his sweet Welshman slept some more, after all the kid didn't have the fault of anything…at least not of this anyways. He got back into the leaving room and sat in the sofa, the glasses and bottle of scotch were still on the table, he took his glass and served himself a drink, not the smartest thing to do right now but he couldn't care less. Taking out his phone form his back pocket he made a call.

After a couple of rings the man pick up the line

"_Hope you have a good reason to be calling me at this ungodly hour" Dr. Smith said_

Jack smirked "You barely sleep John, so don't give me bullshit"

"_Point taken" answered the Doctor "Now, tell me what is what you want?"_

Jack took a deep breath before he spoke "Hart came to see me today"

There was a long silence were none of them said a word. Jack didn't need to be near the man to know dear Doctor Smith must be with white with fury

"_What did he want?"_

Jack´s mind wandered back to his office that afternoon.

"_I´m here to give a voice of advice about this little game of yours" John said_

_Jack took an involuntary step back "What are you talking about?" as if he didn't know already but he wasn't about to give the other man the satisfaction_

"_Dont play stupid with me, Harkness, you know perfectly well" said the man regaining his original pose: arms crossed, feet over the table. "You have been doing the bidding for dear Doctor Smith" the smiled slyly at the shock on the captain´s face "But this is not why I´m here, like I said I´m here to give you an advice: back off"_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_What is wrong with you?"_

"_Hart" Jack warned "Whatever me and my team are doing and for whom is none of your god damn business, so get the hell out of here"_

_John laughed at loud "Oh Harkness, you are as naïve as I remember you…and hotter also."_

_Jack stood in front of Hart with a warning glint in his eyes "Speak or get out, your choice."_

"_You are not fun at all" said John looking at Jack, his expression suddenly serious "You need to get away from the Rehab center Jack, you have no idea what´s going on in there."_

"_More reason for me to go then"_

_It was John´s time to get up and face Jack "I mean it, Harkness, it is dangerous, take if from someone who knows"_

Jack snapped out of his daydream at the sound of Dr. Smith voice _"So…"_

"HE knows something about everything. I don't know what or if he was involved in it but he knows" replied Jack

"_That doesn't surprise me." commented the Doctor_

"How so?"

"_Don't think I'm not aware of your past, Harkness... and more so, of his" said John matter-of-factly "I know what he did to you all those years ago."_

Jack winced "That has nothing to do with this."

"_It has everything to do with it." this time the doctor´s voice was hard and cold "Snap out of it, Harkness, get down to earth for once: John just gave you the key of everything."_

"I will deal with it later" replied Jack harshly to ended their argument "I just needed you to know he may be involved"

"Fine" said the doctor "Now, about the other matter"

Jack let out a tired sigh, Oh yeah the _**Ianto matter**_ "What about it?"

"_Don't play dump, what have you discover?" _

Jack thought about it for a moment, all in all he didn't know much: Ianto was a secretive person, way too much for his taste, the reason that made him believe he had been involved in Rose´s murder on some unknown way, apparently his former partner/lover was it too because even if the Welshman denied it, Jack was sure they knew each other. And then there it was that girl, the dark-skinned one he saw in the picture earlier and the one now remembered from his dream. She may be the key to it all. "Do you know something about Ianto´s past?" the captain asked

"_Not much but yes, what do you want to know?"_

"About a girl called Li…" he stopped death in his speech the moment he heard the bedroom´s door opens "I´ll call you latter" he didn't wait for the doctor´s response, he closed the phone and put it over the table before looking at Ianto who was looking back at him with a warning expression

"Who were you talking to?" the Welshman asked

"No one in particular." he simply said knowing Ianto wouldn't buy it

"Right, I assume it was the same person you were to visit yesterday"

The captain smiled, his Welshman was smarter than he gave him credit for "Maybe, maybe not" he knew he needed to know about what was happening and it was better to know it from Ianto himself "Tell me something, who was Lissa?"

Ianto froze at the mention of his late girlfriend, the conversation they have back at the hub just before John Hart had appeared stormed back into his brain_"Fuck"_he thought "I guess I told you she was my girlfriend" he said with more ice in his voice that the meant to "Why does that have to do with anything?"

"It has to do with everything" he replied with a harsh tone

Ianto was still a bit sore about the events of the day before and last night so he let his anger take the best of him "Even if it does is none of your fucking business" he growled turning his back to the captain and heading into the kitchen

Jack got up and followed him "What does that mean Jones?" he asked angrily taking Ianto´s arm to stopped him "I told you before I remembered some interesting thing about my past, more accurately about some matter that took place 5 years ago in the streets of London"

The Welshman took a step back and looked at his face with shock and pain reflected in his eyes "Wha…"

Jack didn't let him finish, as if this was a boxing match he hit harder "I mean I saw what happened to her 5 years ago, I know how she died I saw it happened." the next thing he knew was the pain Ianto´s fist caused the moment it hit his jaw. Jack stumbled back looking half surprised half mad.

"You know shit about it" Ianto snarled angry beyond reason "You have no right to talk about her, you didn't know her, you weren't the one that held her in his arms as she died, you weren't the one that was too busy with killing some random blond girl that tried to rip your throat open when you were supposed to be with her. . NOTHING" the Welshman had his hands turn it to fist, his knuckles white as he tried to calm himself "You got into my house without permission, you sneak your way into my bed, fuck me till you heart content and now came here demanding answers to matters that don't concern you. Fuck you, Jack Harkness" he spat to the floor in front on the captain´s feet "and get the hell out of here before I throw you out"

Jack was perplexed not only by the rage fit the Welshman was throwing but because of his words, the confirmation of his suspicion: he was the one that killed Rose. He didn´t know what to do with that information, the logical part of him told him he needed to report that to Dr. Smith, it was the reason why the dear doctor had hire him but it he did it, there was a strong possibility Ianto didn't live long enough to see a new sunrise but the other part of him, the one that had love the blond girl all those years demanded blood, Welshman blood. "You killed her" he said

Ianto´s fury slow down a bit because he didn't get it "Who?" his rational side knew Jack wasn't talking about Lissa, and reviewing what he just practically screamed to the American he came to the realization he just had broadcasted a murder "The blond girl" he said with a puzzled look

"Her name was Rose Tyler" the captain said with a hollow voice "She had infiltrated the lines of UNIT so she could find out who had stole her beloved Doctor and Donna´s work and you killed her"

Ianto had no idea who the doctor and this Donna person where but the accusation of had killing someone who apparently had been innocent and simply had got caught in the cross fire hit him like a bucket of icy water but he wasn't about to let that stole the rage he felt toward Jack and his words about his beloved Lissa "I could care less about who she was and what she was doing there. She stood in my way, if it wasn't for here I would have got to Lissa on time and she would be alive now…she deserved to die"

This was the time for Ianto to not knowing that hit him, one moment he was screaming at Jack and the other he was been pinned down to the floor, hands over his head and a hard body over his immobilizing him. "Get off me"

"You killed Rose you son of a bitch, How could you?" Jack said punching him in the face over and over again "She was just doing her job and YOU KILLED HER"

"And so was Lissa" Ianto managed to say between blows, his voice low and defeated

Those words seemed to have hit a never in Jack´s mind because the captains stopped with his fist just inches from the now bloody face of the Welshman, he could see the tears mixed with the blood that streamed down his cheek battered cheek. Jack stood up looking down at the guy he was fixed to crush into a bloody pulp. What have he done? His anger had took the best of him, no matter what had trigger it, he didn't meant to almost kill Ianto "I…" he said taking one step back "I…" he didn't know what to say, what to feel so he turned his back to Ianto, went into the leaving room, gathered his belongings and storm out of the house without much as a backward glance.


End file.
